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    Home » All Recipes » Sweets & Desserts » Pistachio Baklava

    Pistachio Baklava

    Last updated April 20, 2021. Originally posted April 9, 2021 By Jenny Skrapaliori-Graves. Leave a Comment.

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    Impossible-to-resist pistachio baklava with lots of phyllo pastry, syrup, and pistachios is a delicious Mediterranean dessert that everyone will love.

    A serving plate with pistachio baklava pieces.

    What is a baklava

    Baklava is a syrupy dessert made of lots of sheets of phyllo pastry. The sheets were buttered and layered with honey, syrup, and nuts. It is a common dessert of Greek, Iranian, Turkish, and Arab cuisines. Each region slightly tweaks the recipe to make it unique.

    Modern baklava may have been originated in Turkey during the Ottoman Empire, then modified in Greece.

    This pistachio baklava is the Constantinople (or Istanbul) version. I wanted to honor my paternal grandma Evgenia, an amazing woman from Poli, as Greeks still call the famous city. She was a Greek born in Constantinople at the beginning of the 2Oth century, in a big Greek community. She was one of the best cooks I have ever met. Her family gatherings are legendary for her culinary creations and the warm, welcoming atmosphere. Grandma Evgenia's desserts were the real deal; you could not find anything like them at any shop.  I hope she would enjoy this baklava.

    How to make this pistachio baklava

    Ingredients

    • Unshelled pistachio nuts
    • Unsalted good quality butter or ghee melted
    • Phyllo pastry sheets defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
    • Sugar
    • Lemon
    Phyllo sheets.
    Broken pistachios pieces on a dark surface.
    1. Using a mortar and pestle, ground the pistachios until coarsely minced. You can also chop them by hand with a sharp knife.  You can use a food processor if you prefer but be extra cautious not to ground them too fine. The food processor method is not the most ideal because it releases the nut's oils and changes the baklava flavor.
    2. Heat oven to 400° F.
    3. Brush the inside of a deep 10-by-15-inch baking pan with butter.
    4. Trim the phyllo sheets with scissors to fit the bottom of your baking dish. Always cover phyllo layers with a lightly damp kitchen towel and keep covered.
    5. Place 2 pieces of phyllo on the bottom of the baking pan; drizzle with butter.
    6. Layer two phyllo sheets at a time, drizzling with butter as you go until 20 or so sheets are used.
    7. Spread the broken pistachios on the phyllo in an even layer, then layer with the remaining phyllo, using the same drizzling method with butter every two sheets until 20 or so sheets are used.
    8. Carefully, using a sharp knife, score the pastry into square or diamond shape pieces. Make sure to cut all the way through to the bottom of the pan. Pour the remaining butter evenly all over the pan.
    9. Bake baklava until the top is golden brown, for about 45 minutes, but it could take an hour or a little more depending on your oven.
    10. When the baklava is baked through and has a lovely golden brown color, remove it from the oven and let it cool a little. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup. Keep oven hot.
    Uncooked baklava scored with a knife.
    A pan with pistachio baklava.

    Make the syrup and finish the baklava.

    1. In a medium pot, combine the sugar with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest.
    2. Pour the hot syrup all over the lukewarm baklava. Some may overflow, so place the baklava pan on a rack and a rimmed baking sheet. 
    3. Put the pan back into the hot oven for about 5 minutes. Remove baklava and let it cool completely before serving. 

    Tips & substitutions

    • Get the best quality pistachios you can find. They are key to the success of this recipe.
    • I use unsalted grass-fed butter, and sometimes I use ghee. Ghee is great for baklava.
    • Baklava will be at its best after 24 hours. Grate some lemon zest on top for serving.
    A serving plate with pistachio baklava pieces.

    You might also like:

    • A lovely berry mascarpone tart is a great and easy dessert.
    • A sweet and tangy Meyer lemon ginger tart will wow fans of lemony desserts.
    • These traditional (with my twist) peinirli – Greek pizza boats are delicious.
    • Another great recipe is this pie with pastourma & kasseri.

    Check all the pantry items a Greek kitchen wouldn’t go without.

    If you’ve tried this recipe or any other on The Greek Foodie, then don’t forget to rate it and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it.

    A serving plate with pistachio baklava pieces.

    Pistachio Baklava

    by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves
    Impossible-to-resist pistachio baklava with lots of phyllo pastry, syrup, and pistachios is a delicious Mediterranean dessert that everyone loves.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 45 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Greek, turkish
    Servings 12

    Equipment

    • Mortar and pestle or food processor.
    • 10"x15" deep baking pan.
    • Wire rack.
    • Rimmed baking sheet
    • Medium saucepan

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups unshelled pistachio nuts
    • 2.5 sticks unsalted good quality butter or ghee melted
    • 1.5 lb phyllo pastry defrosted overnight in the refrigerator About 40 phyllo sheets
    • 3.5 cups sugar
    • ½ lemon juiced
    • 1 tsp lemon zest some more for serving (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Using a mortar and pestle, ground the pistachios until coarsely minced. You can also chop them by hand with a sharp knife.  You can use a food processor if you prefer but be extra cautious not to ground them too fine. The food processor method is not the most ideal because it releases the nut's oils and changes the baklava flavor.
    • Heat oven to 400° F.
    • Brush the inside of a deep 10-by-15-inch baking pan with butter.
    • Trim the phyllo sheets with scissors to fit the bottom of your baking dish. Always cover phyllo layers with a lightly damp kitchen towel and keep covered.
    • Place 2 pieces of phyllo on the bottom of the baking pan; drizzle with butter.
    • Spread the broken pistachios on the phyllo in an even layer, then layer with the remaining phyllo, using the same drizzling method with butter every two sheets until 20 or so sheets are used.
    • Carefully, using a sharp knife, score the pastry into square or diamond shape pieces. Make sure to cut all the way through to the bottom of the pan. Pour the remaining butter evenly all over the pan.
    • Bake baklava until the top is golden brown, for about 45 minutes, but it could take an hour or a little more depending on your oven.
    • When the baklava is baked through and has a lovely golden brown color, remove it from the oven and let it cool a little. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup. Keep oven hot.

    Make the syrup and finish the baklava

    • In a medium pot, combine the sugar with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest.
    • Pour the hot syrup all over the lukewarm baklava. Some may overflow, so place the baklava pan on a rack and a rimmed baking sheet. 
    • Put the pan back into the hot oven for about 5 minutes. Remove baklava and let it cool completely before serving. 

    Notes

    • You can replace the pistachio with grated walnut or almond, mixed with 1 tbsp cinnamon.
    • You can layer the phyllo sheets one by one with the pistachio instead of putting it all in the middle.
    Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on the products used.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thegreekfoodie__ or tag #thegreekfoodie__
    Pistachio Baklava
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    Hi there!

    I am Jenny, a Greek expat living in the greater New York City area. I like to say I am a beauty art director turned foodie, aka the Greek foodie. Born and raised in Greece, my fondness for good food goes hand in hand with my heritage. My absolute favorite thing to do is cook delicious food to enjoy with family and friends.... Find out more about me here…

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